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0. O. WIGHTMAN.

CHECK HOOK FOR HARNESS.

Patented-July 6, 1886.

N. PETERS, PllnbLkIwgmphur. Washington, D. C.

tJ'NITEo STATES PATENT OFFICE,

OLIN C. II IGHTMAN, OF MOHAWK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALFREDDENNISON, OF SAME PLACE.

CHECK-HOOK FOR HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 345,013, dated July6,1886.

Application fil d February 6, 1886. Serial No. 191,0l5. (N0 mollel.)

170 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, OLIN (J. Wrerrrrmn, of Mohawk, in the county ofHerkiiner, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovementsin Oheck-Hooks,ofwhich the following, takcn in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of checkhooks which are detachablefrom the harnesssaddle to slacken the check-rein connected with saidhook, and are adapted to be replaced on the saddle to tighten thecheck-rein; and the invention consists in an improved construction andcombination of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described, andspecifically set forth in the claim.

In the annexed drawings, Figure I is a vertical longitudinal section ofmy automatic resetting check-hook. Fig. 11 is a perspective Viewillustrating the operation of releasing the check-hook from itssupporting plate or bracket, and Fig. III is a side view showing theoperation of the check-hook for connecting and disconnecting thecheck-rein to and from the same. s

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the supporting plate or bracket of the check-hook, whichplate or bracket is provided with a screw-threaded stud, s, or othersuitable and well-known means for attaching it to the saddle-tree.

From the plate A rises a case, A, which stands with its plane at rightangles to the saddle of the harness, and is formed with aforwardly-facing mouth, m, the bottom of the interior of which is formedwith a catch or shoulder, a, as illustrated in Fig. I of the draw- Du astud-pin, s, rigidly attached to the center of the interior of the caseA, is pivoted a drum, b, to which is attached one end of a suitablestrap, (1, the opposite end of which is attached to the heel or base ofthe checkhook C. A spring, 6, attached at one end to the stud-pin s, andat the opposite end to the drum b, is coiled in such a direction as tocause the resilience thereof to rotate the drum in a direction to windthe strap d thereon, and thus draw the check-hook 0 toward thesupporting plate or bracket A. The heel or base of the hook is of ashape to allow it to enter the mouth m of the case A, and isformed witha catch or shoulder, 0, adapted to interlock with the catch or shouldera. The mouth at is slightly above the base of the drum 1), and thus thestrap (1 is caused to draw the heel of the check-hook C downward, so asto yieldingly retain it interlocked with the shoulder a, and at the sametime hold the free end of the check-hook against the exterior of thecase, so as to close thepassage to and from the check-hook and preventaccidental disconnect-ion of the check-rein from the said hook. Theyielding STIPPOPlTOf the check-hook allows a person to crowd the freeend of said hook down and away from the case A. sufficiently to pass thecheck-rein into or out of the hook, as represented in Fig. III of thedrawings.

D denotes a t-ripper for releasing the checkhook from the hook or catcha, said tripper consisting of a lever pivoted to the rear of the plateor bracket A, and having one end extending forward to the shoulder a, soas to lie under the heel or base of the check-hook when interlocked withthe said shoulder. The rear end of the lever D projects upward andterminates with a forward curvature, so as to allow a person seated inthe carriage and holding the driving-reins to throw one of the reinsacross the front of the lever, as illustrated in Fig. II of thedrawings, and when the rein is thus brought to bear on'the lever D aslight pull on the rein draws thelever rearward,and thereby causes theforward end of the lever to raise the heel' of the check-hook off fromthe shoulder or catch a. The check-hook is thus released to allow thehorses head free play to drink. In this operation the band d is unwoundfrom the drum b, and the spring 0 is wound up.

When it is desired to recheck the horses v head, the driving-rein is tobe thrown off from the lever D, and then by pulling on the reins, so asto draw up the horses head, the strap d is allowed to be wound on thespringactuated drum b, and automatically draws the checkcheck-hook fromthe shoulder a by means of the driving-rein,substantiall y as describedand I 5 shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and aflixed my seal,in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Herkimer, in the countyof Herkimer, in the State of New York, 20

this 2d day of February, 1886.

OLIN 0. 'WIGHTMAN.

Witnesses:

S. E. COE, J. B. RAFIER.

